Natural hazards · Gibson

Gibson, WI natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Gibson comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 5 claims here since 1990. 1 federal disaster brought FEMA money into town.

FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 · OpenFEMA claims, aid & declarations

Expected damage

How exposed is Gibson?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Gibson to be higher than in 21% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and cold waves.

Inland flooding48%Cold waves20%Hail13%Tornadoes11%Everything else9%

By hazard

What Gibson faces

Each hazard’s share of the damage FEMA expects here, and how that compares with the rest of the country.

Inland flooding

48% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 36% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Cold waves

20% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 21% of U.S. places

Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Hail

13% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 89% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

11% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 66% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 25 years in the area

Lower here

HurricanesIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightning

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingDroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic activity

Flood risk changes street by street. Check a specific address on FEMA’s flood map, and ask about flood insurance before you buy.

Flood insurance claims

Does Gibson flood?

Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Gibson, from FEMA’s records.

5paid claims since 1990

$313Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19902026

Biggest named events

March 2019 Midwest Flooding: 2 claims, $276K
2026-04-Flooding: 1 claim, $13K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Gibson isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Manitowoc County.

Disasters that hit Gibson

1 federal disaster brought FEMA money here

Disasters the President declared that paid out in Gibson itself: aid to households, or repair grants to the Town of Gibson.

Brought FEMA money into GibsonDeclared for Manitowoc County only

2000

Snow

$3K to the Town of Gibson for repairs

Manitowoc County has had 7 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and severe storms.

Around Gibson

Gibson and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Mishicotmostly inland floodingLow

Gibsonmostly inland floodingLow

Cooperstownmostly inland floodingLow

Franklinmostly inland floodingVery low

About these numbers

How to read this page

An average, not a forecastFEMA’s National Risk Index estimates the damage 18 kinds of natural hazards cause in a typical year, from decades of records and models. A quiet decade can follow a bad year.

Compared by rate“Higher than N%” compares yearly damage as a share of what’s here, so a big city isn’t rated riskier just for having more buildings. Gibson covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Gibson’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Gibson. FEMA’s model follows property values, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels.

FEMA’s expected losses across Gibson total about $2.7M a year, counting buildings, people and crops.

Sources: FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025); OpenFEMA: NFIP redacted claims, multiple-loss properties, community status book and residential penetration rates, housing assistance (owners and renters), public assistance funded projects, hazard mitigation properties and disaster declarations. Census tracts: U.S. Census Bureau.